


Was it a Good Valentine's Day, Charlie Brown?

by Stujet9rainshine



Category: Peanuts
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Crushes, Fluff, Gift Exchange, M/M, Middle School, Secret Admirer, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-02-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:15:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22729003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stujet9rainshine/pseuds/Stujet9rainshine
Summary: Maybe Valentine's Day wasn't so bad after all.
Relationships: Charlie Brown/Schroeder
Comments: 7
Kudos: 75





	Was it a Good Valentine's Day, Charlie Brown?

**Author's Note:**

> I finally, finally sat down and wrote this. A planned work I've had for a few years and here it is!!!
> 
> Enjoy!!!

Charlie Brown cracked open his eyes with a groan. He didn’t have to look at the calendar to know what day it was. It was his  _ least _ favourite day of the year. Valentine's Day. 

A day he's hated all his life, a day filled with embarrassment, disappointment, and a good dash of shame. And being older and in middle school has only made things worse. When they were little, teachers did nice things, there was a little class party, it wasn't as miserable as it could have been. But in middle school? There were no class parties, no obligations (even if those already established managed to skip over him anyway) just kids only giving gifts to people they  _ actually _ liked, which honestly made the whole thing a million times worse somehow. 

Nothing had changed, but at the same time,  _ everything _ had. The only good thing is that Charlie, himself, had stopped giving other people cards and that made things easier... Mostly. 

With one last groan, Charlie Brown climbed out of bed. It was time to face the music.

He got ready that morning in his usual routine. Brushing his teeth and combing his hair, putting on his clothes and sliding on his yellow, zig-zagged hoodie. He was going to survive this day just like he had all the others. 

He went to the living room and couldn't help a tiny smile as he saw Sally hastily throwing some glitter on some cards she was putting together at the last minute. That was just like her. He was sure this little project of her's was going to turn into a mess of glue and glitter that would make the bus driver hate her.

When Sally noticed him, she perked up and smiled brightly, "Big Brother! What do you think of this Valentine I made for Linus?" She displayed the card like a prize. There were a few moments of Charlie just looking at the heart and the glitter that spelt out,  _ 'To My Sweet Babboo!' _ And then the card slowly at first and then all at once slipped from the card and landed on the table with a plop. Sally made an offended squawk as she quickly grabbed the heart and slammed it back on the card. "Welp, that's good enough," she declared before she turned it flat and blew on the card to speed up the drying process. 

Charlie chuckled, "I'm sure he'll like it as much as he does all the other ones." Which was his nice way of saying, probably not, but Sally took in stride and started skipping towards the door. 

"Come on, Big Brother! We need to catch the bus!" Sally put the card down gently as she went to the coat rack and slipped on her pink puffy coat. It was still February and they lived in Minnesota after all. 

"I'm coming," he called out and swung by to grab his bookbag and swing it over his shoulder. 

Sally peeked around him and slipped under his arm and looked up at him with her big blue eyes. "You didn't make a Valentine for anyone?"

Charlie Brown turned a little red as his stupid embarrassed blush burned on his cheeks. "No. I don't have anyone that I would want to give one to."

Sally frowned and looked contemplative and then nodded. "Okay." Then she untucked herself from underneath his arm and grabbed his hand with one of her and started pulling. "Let's go!"

"Okay, okay. I'm coming," he said as he rolled his eyes fondly.

~

Charlie Brown was correct on the bus ride being a glitter-filled disaster but the bus driver didn't seem to mind the mess after Sally handed her a lollipop and a little card as she got off at the elementary school. 

Now, everyone loved Sally Brown and Charlie Brown loved her too. Maybe he'd remember to make her something this year, if anyone deserved a card it was her.

They were almost to the middle school when Lucy plopped down next to Charlie. "Any plans for the day, Charlie Brown?"

Charlie sighed and tucked his hands into his hoodie, "not really. Just the usual."

Lucy pulled a face, "Aw, where's the fun in that? Don't you know what day it is?"

He looked at her with a flat expression. "I'm far too aware."

"So…" She drew out, "no one special enough to make a card for? No candy?"

"No Lucy."

"Pity," she snarled, "well, I made something Schroeder is going to love this year. Something just Beethoven themed enough…" then she started rambling but Charlie stopped listening. He heard this a few times before. This was what she did every year.

Then the bus pulled up their school and Lucy was launching herself from her seat. Clearly in a hurry to beat the rush.

Charlie Brown followed behind much slower, leading up the back of the pack. The place he was most comfortable in; Last place. 

Thankfully getting to his first class was uneventful. Just like he planned

~

**3:15** . 

Charlie Brown just had to make it to 3:15. Then this forsaken school day would be over and he could just go home and hide in his room under the covers.

He tucked his hands into his hoodie pockets as he walked out of the lunch room. God, he forgot that everyone used lunch period as the time to present each other with gifts. He had scarfed down his lunch as fast as he reasonably could eat his peanut butter sandwich. 

He just needed to get out of there. There were only so many pink cards and flowers and happy giggles he could listen to before he got a little sick to his stomach. Sure, he was happy for everyone, he was just sad for himself. He just wanted someone to care about Good ol' Charlie Brown.

He scuffed his shoes on the floor as he finally made his way to his locker. He was going to grab that book he was working on and go hide in the library. That was as perfect as his plans for Valentine's Day could get.

Then as he stopped in front of his locker and reached for the combination lock, he saw something that clearly didn't belong. A tiny slip of pink paper was peeking out of the space between his locker and the rest of the metal. 

He froze and his heart went through at least eight emotions in the span of five seconds. That couldn't be what his traitorous heart was telling him it was. It just  _ couldn't _ be. 

Knowing that giving in to temptation was something that always brought him disappointment he decided. He could just go to the library. He was sure they had another copy of the book he could read while he was there. 

He'd left his copy at home.  _ Yeah. _ That was what happened.

Then he was retreating far away from his locker and mysterious pink paper. 

~

Charlie Brown had avoided his locker for the whole rest of the school day and now it was almost three o'clock and he needed to get his bookbag. That slip of pink paper was still there, just waiting to trick him.

What could it possibly be? He swallowed and felt his face turned red as he finally picked up the lock. He slowly turned the combination and told himself it wasn't a Valentine. 

_ It couldn't be. _

Then there was a quiet click as the lock slipped open. It sounded like a gunshot to Charlie's ears as he pulled it off. 

He swallowed nervously as he slowly pulled open the metal door. Then like magic a pretty pink card fluttered out of his locker and to the linoleum floor in front of his feet.

_ Charlie Brown, _

The pretty and flowy script declared, written on a sparkly red heart. The heart with  _ his name _ was surrounded by handcrafted baseball and bat and candies and birds and a little doodle of Snoopy. All of Charlie Brown's favourite things.

He couldn't believe it as his ability to breathe stopped. He blinked harshly trying to see if it was a hallucination. But the card just stayed there, happily declaring  _ his _ name.

He finally leaned down and picked it up. He was a bright red as he continued to admire the sheer amount of craftsmanship that went into the making this card. Someone clearly cared about  _ him. _

His heart pitter pattered as he ran a finger delicately over the soft construction paper. He smiled softly. He loved this. Someone had given him a Valentine's Day card. One made just for  _ him. _

He swallowed nervously once again as he felt the blush travel up to his ears. But who? Who could have made him such a wonderful card?

He let his hand wander to the opening and braced himself as he opened the card.

On the inside was a drawing and collage of Snoopy's dog house and the dog himself and that little bird that was always with him. It was sweet. Beyond sweet. Then he looked at the next page.

_ Charlie Brown, _

_ I can't believe I finally got the nerve to make this for you! I've been wanting to make a Valentine's card for you for so long, but I always wanted to make sure it was a genuine reason why. I never wanted to give you something because I felt bad for you. I wanted to show you that I really do care! I care about you a lot! A whole lot! _

_ You're one of my favorite people in the world. My favorite living person at the very least. But please know that there is someone out there who loves you! You're so wonderful and the sweetest boy I've ever met. And maybe one day they'll be able to say it to your face. But until then: _

_ With Love, _

_ Your Valentine and Secret Admirer _

Then that was it. There were a few well drawn hearts on the page along with a little bit of glitter. But that was it. And Charlie Brown loved every single word on the paper. He couldn't believe it. 

_Someone loved_ _him._

He was a bit sad that they didn't sign, but that was okay. This is the best thing anyone had ever made for him and he was going to treasure it and happily wait for the day that his secret admirer would reveal themselves. He was smiling and blushing and he hugged the card to his chest and sighed.

Maybe Valentine's Day wasn't so bad after all.

~

"So?" Lucy's voice cut into the happiness that Schroeder was basking in. "Did you finally make a Valentine this year?"

Schroeder looked up from where he was digging around in his locker. Trying to waste time. "For your information. I did make one this year."

Lucy's entire face lit up with both happiness and surprise. "Oh? Where is it? I can't wait to see what you made."

Schroeder rolled his eyes, it was more playful that it used to be. "Sorry, I didn't make it for you."

**_"What?!"_ ** Lucy bellowed and moved so she was looking directly into his eyes. "Who did you make it for then?"

Schroeder closed his locker and sighed. But his eyes found a smiling and blushy Charlie Brown walking past. The card he had made clutched to his chest like it was something prized.

He smiled dopily as he watched him walk towards the buses. "I made it for someone very special this year."


End file.
